Indicating device



Jan. 1, 1924 5. JAMES INDIICATING DEVICE Filed A ril 10 Patented Jan. 1, 1924.

E T is: S

BENNIE JAMES, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INDICATING DEVICE.

Application filed April 10, 1922.

'1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENNIE JAMES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Indicating Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in indicating devices, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which means is provided for visually indicatin to occupants of the kitchen an order tzilren at a point remote from the kitchen.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which the slides describing the various orders may be removed and replaced at will.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which there are no moving or mechanically operated parts to become broken or worn.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described, which is compact in form, simple in construction, and thoroughly practical for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the slides,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View showing the electrical connections in carrying out my invention, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of the electrical connections.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of an elongated casing 1 divided in six compartments 2 by five partitions 3. The casing 1 is provided with suitable means for fixing it in place upon the wall 4 of a room such as the kitchen in a restaurant.

Each of the partitions 3 is provided with Serial No. 551,358.

a T-shaped guide member 5 and the two end walls 6 and 7 are provided with L-shaped guide members 8.

The T-shaped guide members 5 and the L-shaped guide members 8 provide means for receiving glass slides 9. One side 10, namely the inner side of the slides 9, is provided with a stencil formed by a coating of opaque paint through which legends describing various items such as orders from the menu of a restaurant are formed by scraping away a part of the opaque paint. The front sides 11 of the slides 9 are covered with a coating of translucent white paint so that the stencil can not be viewed from the outside.

Each of the slides 9 has a stencil describing a different item.

Each of the compartments 2 is provided with a lamp socket 12. lamp 13 is placed in each of the sockets 12.

The electrical connections for my indicating device are most clearly shown in Fig. 4. Current to operate the lamps 13 is taken from sthe ordinary lighting circuit, 14 and 15 representing the two sides of the circuit, as shown in the drawings. Each of the sockets 12 has one of its terminals connected by a short wire 17 to a wire 16. The wire 16 is connected to a switch 18, which I choose to term the main or feed switch. The opposite terminal of the switch 18 is electrically connected by means of a wire 19 to one of the feed wires, in this case, 14.

The opposite feed wire 15 is connected to a wire 20, which is run up into the forward part of the restaurant where the tables are placed.

Six push buttons 21 and 26, inclusive, each having one of its terminals connected to the wire 20 by means of short wires 27 are provided in the circuit, as shown in Fig. 4.

The opposite tern'iinals of the push buttons 21 to 26 are connected to the opposite terminals of the sockets 12 so that the push button 21 will be connected to the lower of the sockets and the button 26 to the upper socket.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Let us assume that the slides 9 have legends thereon substantially as shown in Fig. 1 and that a waiter in the forward part of the restau- An incandescent rant desires an order of cofiiee and doughnuts prepared. He will thereupon press the button 25 and the lamp in the next to the the top compartment 2 will burn. The light from the lamp will shine through the adjacent slide 9 through the stencil coatin thereupon and the legend Coffee anc doughnuts will be Visible to an observer, in the kitchen. 7

Obviously, the slides 9 may be changed to suit the particular menu of the season.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a modified form of. the electrical connection in which I show in place of one each of the push buttons 21 to 26 inclusive, six pairs of push buttons of said slides to form legends designating certain articles, and a coating of white translucent composition on the opposite side of said slide, whereby the said legends may not be viewed from one side of said slide.

BENNIE JAMES. 

